My family is like a normal American family. We all wait for Grandma to finish cooking the turkey, and talk about our lives. Then we all eat and after we all take a nap and watch the football game. But at the end of the day, someone asks, “So who is taking the turkey?” I think every family has this argument.

This is a huge issue for my family because we all try to take the least amount of turkey but when we finally do, we have many other foods to take home: stuffing, coleslaw, rolls, mashed potatoes, vegetables and extra pie slices. Over a couple of years I have heard many excuses such as “We won’t or can’t eat all of that,” “We don’t have enough room in the refrigerator,” “We will just throw it out anyway,” etc.

After the dinner we all go our separate ways for instance I go to the couch and watch the football game, my sister and cousins go to the other room and talk, my mom, aunts and grandma clear the table, wash the dishes and take their portion of the food. Next comes pie — apple, pumpkin, cherry. Usually I take all three. After we finish the pie I am to full to move and just watch the football game. After the football game we usually have the argument who is going to take this pie or that pie. Then it is time to go home.

I think Thanksgiving is a time for giving and being close to your love ones, not being selfish and greedy. I think that every family has this argument about who is taking the leftovers.

- Nick Thurlow, of Syracuse, is a freshman at Christian Brothers Academy